



^jy O r O " " » "Vl 

.0' v*^''y' "o^*^.'%o'5 V'^V "°^^^^'%°' V'— '\^^" 

■/ .J^^^^^ ^-^^Z .'^^^^^^ ^^y^.' <./\^ '-^mS '>>^''\ '^9/ J'''^'^^.. ^ 





^' V 













"°o 



,*' 



o V 








V'<i^ 





















v^ <,«». -**-, '" .«>' 



-' '-^^.^ oV^^^L^'- ^^^-^ :^m.\ '^^0^ »^^w». -ov* -^'^^^^-'. '-^^--^ 







V 











■- '*-.*- .-:!$»•. \/ .•^'\ \,*^ : 






















{►^ V 







.^•^°- 



^* 



















"%''-■'•'>' V'^\^^V "°^*^"^'*/ ^^^'*7^'\«^' 




>" >-' '■^^.■*' ov-^^^'. '»j,v^' :;^^'- "-^^0^" Z'^^'-. -oV^' ^>(S^.^ '-^-^..^ 








iPvi,. 







o. 













,^" .... "^^ "■°"°' .<*■ ... ^■*-_ .'^ 











0' o r„ » . . "o. ,^*' . ' 'J,!' /^'?> " fp"^ .^^c;." % "^°o .,-^*' . v'_^;^^ , ^\ 



' o 




<5^ * o « o ' ^ 






^bv" 







<^°^ 

































^°-n^. 



4 o 












c 






* ^^" 




^oV" 






0\ « » • 



.^" 



NN^i 



GULFPORT, MI SSI S SIPPI-TH E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



'**^ J 




o 

fa 
J 

o 

fa 
o 

q 

H 
O 
fa 

w 

M 

a 
z 

M 

oa 
fa 



fa 

fa 

OT 
P 

s 




GULF PORT 



MISSISSIPPI 





THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 





COMPILED B V 



B, C. COX, 



SECRETARY OF THE 



aULFPORT COMMERCIAL UN. ON 




OFFICERS OF THE COMMERCIAL UNION OF GULF PORT, MISS. 



OFFICERS. 



R. L. SIMPSON, 
GEORGE P. HE WES, 
J. D. HARDY, _ 
F. M. COLEMAN, 
J. W. BRADLEY, . 
B. C. COX, 



President 

. Vice-President 

Second Vice-President 

Third Vice-President 

Treasurer 

. Secretary 



CHAIRMEN STANDING COMMITTEES. 



W. W. SYFAN, . 
GEO. M. FOOTE, 
F. B. HE WES, , 
RUCKS VERGER, 
R. W. SHIPP, . 
F. FOSTER, 
W. H. BOUSLOG, 



Finance 

Transportation 

Manufacturing 

Grievances 

Municipal Affairs 

Printing and Advertising 

Agriculture and Immigration 



GULFPORT, MISSIS SIPPI-T HE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



^''\ 
^ <^'^^ 



^ 




BRITISH STEAMSHIP CONWAY 
loading Cotton at Gulf port for Havre and Liverpool 




1 


iM 


^L^-^ib! 




HH 






^m 


^ii^ 




^^^HB^BH^^^ 


9 




PIH/ipjk^^H 


^^^H 




^^Ea__^H 


H^H 




B^S 


^M 



INTERIOR CAPTAIN'S CABIN S. S. CONWAY 



STORING COTTON IN HOLD OF SHIP 
AT GULFPORT 



GULFPOTtT, MISSI SS I PPI - TH K GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



5i: 




THE FIRST SHIP TO LOAD COTTON AT GULFPOKT, DECE:,iEEK, 1508 




OULFPORT 



THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




GulEport is the newest ol "Uncle 
Sam's" Ports. It is situated on the 
Gulf of Mexico, half way between New 
Orleans and Mobile, being seventy 
miles equally distant from both. 

Now, in the first place, there is a rea- 
son for Gulf port's being built at ex- 
actly the spot or place where it is 
situated; it was not located by mere 
chance; the reason for its existence 
and its location is founded on the 
fact that twelve miles from the main- 
land is Ship Island; on the landward 
side of this island is one of the larg- 
est and best harbors in the world per- 
fectly land-locked and perfectly sate 
from storms and cyclones. This deep 



harbor reacbes witMn eight miles of 
the mainland, and then the water gets 
too shallow to allow large steamships 
to come in to the mainland. 

As early as 1854 a railroad was 
chartered from Chicago to this port, 
and the United States Government 
built a million-dollar fort on the west 
end of Ship Island. (Here also Pack- 
ingham's fleet in the War of 1S12 
found a sate place to anchor pending 
their attack on the City of New Or- 
leans) ; but the Civil War came on 
and Northern Capital did not seek 
Southern investment to any extent 
and the Chicago & Gulf Railway was 
abandoned and our beautiful coast 



remained as it was until Northern 
millions represented ia the person Of 
Captain J. T. Jones, of New York, 
conceived and built a seven-mile chan- 
nel 310 feet wide and 21 feel deep at 
low tide into the mainland and dug 
an anchorage basin and built a pier 
out from the shore a distance ot 5,300 
feet, and today ships of every nation- 
ality approach the docks at Gulfport 
and Unload from and load for the 
Various ports ot Europe, South Ameri- 
can countries. Central American 
ports and the New England ports of 
our own country. From nothing, in 
the last twelve years we have built a 
city of ten thousand population, with 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI -THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




A PLEASURE PARTY AT GULFPORT 




FLACK BASS 

Over S feet long, weiarhs 442 poands. landed by Capt J. T. 
McDonakI with an ordinafy rod and reel. No. 24 
tarpon line and Vanvleck h<K>k. It required over two 
hour» of angling- to land. 



UNLOADING TIMBER INTO THE ANCHORAGE BASIN 



GULFPORT, MISSISS IPPI=^-XHE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




BOOMED TIMBER IN THE BASIN AWAITING SHIPMENT TO FOREIGN PORTS 



a good sewer system, municipal wa- 
ter works, gas plant, paved streets, 
electric street car lines and interur- 
ban electric railway connecting us 
with other coast towns. Our city has 
just fairly begun to grow. 

THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ARE GO- 
ING TO BRING GREAT THINGS; 
the past five years have witnessed the 
greatest industrial development ever 
seen in a city of Mississippi. Just a 
few years ago we did not have a post- 
office, and today we have a city with 
ten thousand population with free city 
delivery and post boxes on the street 
corners and a sub-postoffice inside of 
the city limits in North Gulfport, 
while Gulfport has been made the cen- 
tral office for long and various Rural 
Free Delivery Routes. 

Has Gnlfport any Advantages Over 
Other Ports on The Gnlf? 

Decidedly it has; Gulfport is 32 
miles nearer the Giilf than Mobile 
and 110 miles nearer than New Or- 
leans. In other words, take a fruit 
ship from South American ports and 
it is about 24 hours shorter route to 
Chicago and Northern markets 



through Gulfport than by New Or- 
leans. It is a well-known fact, also, 
that fruit, after being on salt water, 
when striking fresh water, as it does 
coming up the Mississippi River for 
a distance of 110 miles to New Or- 
leans, begins to rot, whereas if the 
entire trip could be made on salt wa- 
ter to the point of railroad transpor- 
tation thousands of dollars could be 
saved annually. Now, when a boat 
reaches the docks in New Orleans it 
unloads in the landing stations on the 
levee top and then the fruit has to 
be trucked out to the waiting cars, 
with an additional expense of handling" 
and bruising, while at Gulfport the 
fruit can be lifted directly from the 
ship to the waiting cars which stand 
in four feet of the ship's side and 
then by way of Gulfport it can be 
in Chicago and Northern markets 
many hours sooner than by way of 
other ports. Thus you can readily see 
why our city is growing, and why 
railroads are securing charters and 
rights-of-way to our port. Another 
distinct advantage possessed by Gulf- 
port is that, after the Panama Canal 
Is opened, we will be a port of entry 
for ships from Japan and China. Five 



new railways have secured charters 
to Gulfport in the last twenty-four 
months, one of which has secured its 
terminal and bought its right-of-way. 
This means that when the Panama 
Canal is opened Gulfport is going to 
be one of the greatest cities in the 
South. The present facilities for car- 
rying freight from Gulfport are the 
Louisville & Nashville Railroad and 
the Gulf & Ship Island. We have a 
$40,000.00 Union Depot and IS passen- 
ger trains daily. 

Schools and Churches. 

Gulfport has nine white churches, 
namely: 

First and Second Baptist Churches. 

First and Second Methodist Episco- 
pal Churches. 

Methodist Holiness Church. 

Catholic Church, 

Episcopal Church, 

Christian Church. 

Presbyterian Church. 

In addition to this, there are six 
colored churches. All the above men- 
tioned churches are domiciled in com- 
fortable buildings, except the Chris- 
tian Church, which does not own a 



SULFPORT^ Mis &I S S I FP I — THE G A^TSIW A.Y TO PA^NA^IVLA. 



r~i 




fc^*^-*---'- -:,•: ■■■?■ -■■^/i^M*»" 






LMLOADING HEAVY SQUARE TIMBERS TO THE BURNS BOOM CO,, 
FOUR. MJ-LES NOR-TH OF GULFPORT IN. BAYOU BER.NA.RD 




SUNKEN TIMBER IN BAYOU BERNARD 
Tfiis timber is Sunk and eovered with boards. The water preserves it until Suct time as it is shipped. 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 





RAFTING SQUARE TIMBER INSIDE THE BASIS' PREPARATORY TO LOADING ON SHIP. 



building as yet, but contemplates 
building soon, wliile the First Metho- 
dist Episcopal and the First Baptist 
Churches have outgrown their pres- 
ent comfortable houses and have 
adopted plans to build in 1909 com- 
modious brick structures to cost not 
less than $30,000 each. 

Schools. 

We have absolutely one of the best 
Public School Systems in the South. 
The city has spent nearly $100,000.00 
on schoolhouses and equipments. The 
sohoolhouses are steam-heated, good 
gymnasiums, playgrounds and nine 
months' school. The city has built a 
large Central School and has since 
then built the Ward Schools shown 
in the accompanying cuts. 

In addition to the Public Schools, 
the Catholic Church maintains a good 
school. There are five Public School 
buildings in the city for white chil- 
dren, besides the Catholic Convent, 
and nearly 2,000 children in the 
schools in December, 1908. In addi- 
tion to this, the city built a $3,000.00 
school for the negroes, which is main- 
tained as a public school and run for 



the same length of time as the white 
schools are. No better curriculum is 
maintained in any of the schools of 
the country than is in this city. The 
city makes it a point to pay good 
salaries to the teachers, thereby in- 
suring the highest degree of efficiency. 
A diploma from the Central School, 
which goes through the tenth grade, 
admits the pupil into any college in 
this State without further examina- 
tion. 

Trucking and Farming: Near 'Gulf port. 
Our soil is a sandy loam with clay 
subsoil. With our splendid climate 
any of the semi-tropical fruits grow 
in abundance. Anything that can be 
grown in most any climate can be 
grown at a profit here. No better in- 
vestment could be made than in the 
farm lands of South Mississippi. Their 
values are increasing steadily, but as 
to what this country will produce, I 
will let the farmers speak for them- 
selves. One of our leading truck 
farmers living about four miles from 
Gulfport says: "There is not an acre 
of land here that won't produce $200, 
plant it any way you please. On our 
fariB we grew some crop continuously 
throughout the year. Four crops from 



each acre, all on the same land. Two 
crops first of radishes, one of toma- 
toes and one of cowpeas. Our first 
year here was a great year and our 
books will show what we made on 
radishes." 

Here are the figures on the first 
three cars that they shipped: 

On 22 barrels radishes, net $250.8S 

On 26 barrels radishes, net 162.40 

On 62 barrels radishes, net 504.14 

Total on 110 barrels $917.42 

and as the radish crop runs from 50 
to 90 barrels to the acre, it will read- 
ily be seen how profitable was the 
acreage on these 110 barrels, aggre- 
gating $917.42. 

This gentleman further states that 
off of one and three-quarters acres 
that had been cultivated about seven 
years previous to his buying the place 
he realized in one season $786. This 
gentleman hails from Ohio. The first 
year he bought 23 acres and rented 
20 acres more. He paid for his 23 
acres the first year with the prod- 
ucts raised thereon; the second year 
he built his home with the products 
from his small farm] This is only 
an instance of dozens that we could 



10 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI -THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 






- 














1 i-. - 


5 


^^- 


!~ 


2^' 








= * 




— r 




,•■^1 


^^ 


P^; 


_^ ■ 


- 




V. 1 




P 


' t ' ' ' 




1 


«aSi 








U 




ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ANCHORAGE BASIN. 




PILING IN THE BASIN AT GULFPORT AWAITING SHIPMENT TO PANAMA. 



GULFPOET, MISSISSIPPI- THE GATE WAT TO PAiNAMA 



11 




VIEW OF THE ANCHORAGE BASIN. 



cite you and we do not take his case 
because it is an exception to tUe rule, 
but because it is an average. 

Another leading trucker who locat- 
ed in this section a few years ago 
says: "If the people of the North 
knew what was here, they would come 
down in droves. They do not believe 
you when you tell them these things, 
but if they will come and look they 
will be convinced." 

One of the truckers, who keeps a 
strict account of his sales says: "I 
sold $1,700.00 worth of okra, sweet 
pepper, tomatoes, cantaloupes, roast- 
ing ears, etc., off of a 25-acre piece of 
land in the local markets of Gulfport, 
Longbeach and Pass Christian after 
shipping season was over." 

This sandy loamy soil also produces 
the finest sugar cane syrup Imagin- 
able. It is as clear as honey and Is 
as delectable In every particular as 
maple syrup. An acre planted in su- 
gar cane will pay at a minimum aver- 
age $175.00 per acre. 

What we need is a laro-^r communi':y 



of farmers and truckers. land can l>e 
bought at a very reasonable rate, de^- 
pending almost entirely on the dis- 
tance from the city as to the price 

It is not generally known what our 
soil will produce. Oranges, grapefruit, 
Pondarosa lemons, flgs and pecans are 
thoroughly adapted to our soil and 
climate. The Satsuma or kid glove 
orange grows splendidly here; it is 
seedless and sweet and one may peel 
it, parting the segments without 
spilling a drop of its luscious juice. 
It is medium in size and fine gra'Tied. 
On account of its eariiness aiir. at- 
tractive appearance and excellent 
quality, it brings a high price in the 
market. The Satsuma orange has a 
number of claims to popularity, which 
only require (o be Inown to make its 
popularity widespread. In the first 
place, it comes to maturity early, and 
in the second place a tree will bear 
from 50 to 75 oranges to a tree the 
second year. The r'urd year the tr^ies 
will average 200 good, marketable 
oranges to the tree. 



The largest Satsuma grove thus far 
on the coast, is that of 1,700 bearing 
trees on the Rose Farm, twelve miles 
from Gulfport, but each and every in- 
habitant can successfully engage in 
the culture of this fruit and each resi' 
dent may easily gather his Christmas 
oranges ripe and succulent from his 
own trees and in his own yard, any- 
where in South Mississippi ,and or- 
anges are being cultivated here more 
and more every year. There is practi- 
cally no danger from freezing. We 
refer you to the government report 
about Satsuma oranges here. 

In almost every yard along our 
beautiful coast one sees the orange 
tree. During the months of March 
and April these are white with frag- 
rant blossoms, and from September to 
February they are laden with luscious 
fruit. There is no more lovely sight 
than orange trees in bloom or in fruit, 
and without either it is a thing of 
beauty with its shiny dark foliage; but 
the orange business is in its infancy 
and thousands of acres are lying idle 



12 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PAN AM A 




INTERURBAN STREET RAILWAY 
Traverses 23 miles of the Beach front and is one of the prettiest trips in the country. 



4=4^^4M'^=^MI^ 




THIS SHARK 

Was caught 14 miles out from Gulfport. It is a 

little over 13 feet in length. 



OFFICE BURNS BOOM COMPANY 



GULFPORT, M I S SI SSIPPI - T HE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



13 




TWENTY-FIFTH AVENUE, LOOKING NORTH. 



near Gulfport that could be put into 
paying Satsuma oranges at a small 
outlay of money. 

Figs. 

It has been thoroughly demonstrated 
that no better soil has been found for 
the raising of figs than is to be found 
here. Several of our fruit growers 
have planted large orchards of figs 
and the canning factories along this 
coast buy them at a good price and the 
demand is far in excess of the supply. 

Pecans. 

Great orchards of paper shell trees 
dot this entire Mississippi coast. Stu- 
art, Schley, Pabst, Russell, Success, 
Jewett, Delmas and many others, all 
products of this region, are producing 
both nursery stock and nuts sold all 
over the United States. The nuts are 
various in form, sizes and meat; all 
are so thin in shell that you put two 
together and crack them in the palm 
of your hand. They are all meat, the 
partitions do not count, and in flavor 
they are so sweet, delicate and yet 
rich that they must be tasted to be ap- 



preciated. No one can describe them. 
They are worth their price, from 15 
to 75 cents per pound, and at that fig- 
ure the demand for them is so great 
that the market simply has not been 
touched. The Waldorf-Astoria in New 
York City has paid 65 cents per pound 
wholesale for the entire crop of the 
Delmas Grove on the coast of Missis- 
sippi. In the culture of pecans the 
land when cleared of stumps in the 
piney woods country and fenced, is 
plowed and worked before planting, 
the tree-holes fertilized and trees set 
40 to 50 feet apart ,to allow for fur- 
ther spearing — from 17 to 19 trees to 
an acre being generally planted. The 
most popular plan of fertilizing trees 
on the Gulf Coast is to raise fertilized 
garden crops between the raws, while 
the grove is maturing. This gives a 
splendid income and makes the land 
pay while the trees are maturing. 
Trees at four years bear one to two 
dozen nuts; at five years about two 
pounds, and at ten years 75 to 100 
pounds, and a proportionate increase 
in the years to follow. Pecan trees 
live from 100 to 200 years and even 
longer. 
At present 500 acres is the largest 



grove on the Mississippi Coast; the 
next largest is 400 acres. The trees 
on this farm being about seven years 
old and well started in bearing. To 
plant a pecan grove now means a leg- 
acy of value for one's children and a 
profit for one's self in a brief period, 
while the cultivation of them may be 
had for nothing by cultivating vege- 
tables and berries between the rows 
until they commence bearing. 

Health at Gulfport 

No more healthy place can be found 
anywhere than on the Gulf Coast of 
Mississippi. People who do not know 
think that we are in the malarial dis- 
trict, but such is not the case. Chills 
are unknown. The malarial districts 
are tar removed from the Coast. The 
malarial districts of the State of Mis- 
sissippi are in the Mississippi and Ya- 
zoo Delta bottoms, which are at least 
200 miles from here. In fact, our 
coast is a great health resort. Crowds 
of people come here annually for their 
health. We have hundreds of people 
here from the North spending the win- 
ter and thousands of visitors In the 
summer time enjoying the delightful 



14 



^U^^TToR^T'^TssTsSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




GULF PORT, MISSISSIPPI — THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



15 




IN FRONT OF ALEXANDER'S HOTEL ON TWENTY-FIFTH AVENUE. 



gulf breezes and superb bathing in the 
salt water of the Gulf. Our coast is 
destined to become as popular as a 
resort in the next few years as the 
famous Atlantic Coast resorts. 

Neither is our country swampy, as 
some people imagine, but it is high 
and sandy, covered with magnolia and 
live oak trees. The shore slopes up 
from the water front to a height of 40 
feet above sea level and this bank or 
bluff is set off with an interurban elec- 
tric railway for a distance of twenty 
miles and a magnificent shel Iroad for 
driving and automobiling. 

Public Bnildings. 

The courthouse is located here, a 
magnificent building which cost $52,- 
000. 

The city hall cost $21,000, city jail 
$13,00, and a s plendid opera house 
with seating capacity of 1,500. 

Government Buildings. 

Congress has already appropriated 
$140,000 for a postoflBce and custom- 
house building here. The plans have 



been adopted and accepted and the 
building will be begun right soon. Ac- 
cording to the plans adopted, the 
structure will be very complete and 
modern, with allowance for the rapid 
growth of Gulfport and the growing 
volume of custom business. The low- 
er floor, which will be occupied by the 
postoffice, allows a general work room 
with 3,866 square feet of floor space; 
registry and money order compart- 
ment of 960 square feet; with office 
for postmaster and assistant postmas- 
ter measuring 240 square feet, and 
ample sorting room with 1,200 square 
feet allowed for the carriers. There 
will be two large cement vaults, ward- 
robes and all other modern improve- 
ments. 

Mississippi Cotton Port. 

For the last ninety years the State 
of Mississippi has been paying tribute 
to the sea ports of Louisiana and Ala- 
bama, pouring its wealth into the cit- 
ies of New Orleans and Mobile. Hav- 
ing no seaport of her own, she sent 
her cotton and other export products 
to one o rthe other cities named, where 



it was sold for account or proceeds 
used in purchasing other supplies or 
commodities. 

When the Gulf & Ship Island rail- 
road was finished from Jackson to 
Gulfport, and work commenced to 
deepen the channel out to Ship Island, 
people began to open their eyes — some 
hopefully and others doubtfully. 

After several years' hard work, and 
an expenditure of some two million 
dollars, Capt. J. T. Jones, the great 
developer of South Mississippi, suc- 
ceeded in deepening the harbor to 
twenty-two feet, and putting Gulfport 
in the list of eep water ports, all un- 
aided and alone. 

The place being entirely unknown, 
in the charts of the world, it was with 
difllculty that the first ship was in- 
duced to enter the channel at Gulfport 
in 1902, and only then after the pay- 
ment of a bonus and guarantee against 
damage. After the success of that 
first experiment, other vessels entered, 
loaded with lumber and departed tor 
their destination without the least 
trouble. Then they came in numbers, 
often as many as forty vessels being 
seen in the harbor at one time, of all 



16 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI - THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




PAVING WITH VITRIFIED BRICK AT THE INTERSECTION OF 26TH AVENUE AND 14TH STREET. 




PAVING 26TH AVENUE. 



GULPPORT, M ISS I S S I P PI - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



17 




TWENTY-SECOND AVENUE, WITH THE HARBOR IN THE DISTANCE. 



classes, from steamships to sailors of 
all types. 

In 1902 there was shipped from 
Gulfport 19,000,000 feet of lumber. 
That was not so large, but a good be- 
ginning, but In 1903 the shipments 
reached 105,000,000 feet. The next 
year the figures had swelled to 245,- 
000,000; in 1906, 293,000,000, and about 
the same in 1907. 

In 1908 many of the mills in South 
Mississippi were compelled to shut 
down, because of the panic, but not- 
withstanding the hard times of this 
year, up to November, 199,000,000 feet 
had gone from Gulfport to the markets 
of the world. 

For October, of this year, thirteen 
ocean going vessels left Gulfport load- 
ed with 10,000,000 feet of lumber. For 
November the number was increased 
to fourteen an dthe cargo to 15,500,- 
000 feet. Twentj'-six vessels have so 
far cleared from Gulfport this month 
with cargo valued at over $1,000,000. 
In this count coastwise snips and 
steamers are not included; only ves- 
sels sailing to foreign ports. 

Having become the greatest lumber 
export city in the United States, and 
one of the leading handlers of naval 



stores, Gulfport, thanks to the energy 
and effort of its progressive Commer- 
cial Union, headed by R. L. Simpson, 
is now turning its attention to the im- 
portation of cotton, having won its 
fight before the Railroad Commission 
and before the Federal court to force 
railroads to give that city the same 
rate for cotton accorded to New Or- 
leans and Mobile. 

When this decision was announced 
steps were at once taken to induce the 
shipment of cotton to Gulfport, Carter 
& Co., of Meridian and Jackson, agree- 
in gto supply the cotton. Thereupon 
Corry & Co., ship brokers and agents 
at Gulfport, chartered the large steam- 
ship "Conway," an English vessel of 
7,000 tonnage, and for the past two 
weeks she has been busy taking on 
her load. This vessel is 400 feet long, 
48 feet wide, with draft of 24% feet. 
She brought over from Spain 5,000 
tons of iron pyrites, which were dis- 
tributed to different parts of the coun- 
try, and will carry back over 10,000 
bales of cotton, loaded for Havre and 
Liverpool. This cotton was collected 
from stations north of Jackson, above 
Meridian, along the lines of the New 
Orleans & Northeastern and Gulf & 



Ship Island railroads. The "Conway" 
also carries back 200 tons of cotton 
seed meal, 1,000 barrels cotton seed 
oil and a lot of naval stores, all the 
products of Mississippi. 

This ship will be followed by others, 
one of equal capacity having been 
chartered for January and another for 
February, which means the exporta- 
tion of 30,000 bales of cotton from 
Gulfport in as many months. 

The whole state is interested in this 
cotton movement, as we have too long 
contributed to the maintenance of 
cities in neighboring states, and all 
should rejoice over the fact that we 
have a seaport now recognized by 
congress and the world, and through 
which the products of the state may 
be shipped as cheaply as through the 
ports of New Orleans and Mobile, for 
Gulfport shares the same rate with 
them, and her marine insurance is no 
greater than theirs. 

In obtaining the order from the 
railroad commission to give Gulfport 
an equal chance In cotton shipments 
with other seaports, the business men 
of that town won a great victory for 
their city, which has so long been dis- 
credited, ridiculed and discounted by 



18 



GULFPORT, MI SS I S S IPPI - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




COTTAGES ON TWENTY-FIRST AVENUE, FACING CHAUTAUQUA GROUNDS. 




THE BEACH END OF NINETEENTH AVENUE. 



GULFPORT, MI S SIS S IPPI - THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



19 




STREET SCENE ONE MILE EAST OF UNION DEPOT AT GULFPORT. 



New Orleans and Mobile, which have 
been loath to admit its existence, 
much less acknowledge it as a com- 
petitor. Now that it has been put on 
an equal basis with those cities hav- 
ing the same shipping and marine in- 
surance rate, the state should rejoice, 
for it means much to Mississippi and 
more to Gulfport. It means that she 
will not only receive her share of tim- 
her, lumber, shingles, naval stores 
and other products, but her just pro- 
portion of cotton and its by-products. 

This opening of Gulfport to the cot- 
ton markets of the world means a 
new era in her existence, an infusion 
of new life, the benefits of which it is 
impossible to judge or compute — her 
recognition as one of the most im- 
portant seaports on the Gulf coast — 
a period from which to date her real 
growth and future prosperity. It 
means imports from Europe as well 
as exports to that country, and that 
the wholesale houses of that city will 
soon be receiving all their European 
goods direct; that the steamships that 
take cotton to Havre and Liverpool 
will carry back goods manufactured 
in England, France, Germany, Switz- 
erland, Italy, Holland, and other coun- 



tries, thus bringing about an inter- 
change of commodities beneficial alike 
to all concerned. 

The "Conway" sails to-day, and no 
one expresses the least doubt about 
her clearing the channel successfully 
and going to sea without any diffi- 
cultj' — and then the future of Gulfport 
is assured. 

Another fact worthy of note is that 
Gulfport will be greatly and directly 
benefited by the building of the Pan- 
ama canal, that city being nearer the 
great waterway that is to connect the 
two oceans than any other Southern 
seaport, the construction of which 
means a saving of 10,000 miles in sea 
travel. And in this connection the 
fact may be stated that Gulfport is al- 
ready competing with other cities in 
shipping products, goods and manu- 
actured articles to Colon, sending 
from one to three shiploads per month 
to that city. 

The writer, who has visited Gulfport 
regularly since its establishment, has 
watched its steady growth with great 
interest, and has seen it emerge from 
a village to a city of 10,000, wth paved 
streets, waterworks, sewerage system, 
electric lights and the best street rail- 



way service in Mississippi. She is 
soon to have a Federal building, for 
which $140,000 has been appropriated, 
which will be used for a customhouse, 
postofhce and other Federal purposes. 
New factories and enterprises are in 
sight; trainloads of lumber are roll- 
ing in daily, carloads of merchandise 
going out on every train; evidences of 
the- panic are disappearing ,and signs 
of prosperity apparent on every hand. 
The people of Gulfport have faith in 
their town and confidence in them- 
selves, therefore the success and pros- 
perity of the city is assured. — R. H. H. 
in Daily Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, 
Miss., Dec. 25, 190S. 



Manufacturing. 

With the opening of the Panama 
canal there will, of necessity, be a 
great shifting of the trade centers of 
the world, and no other spot on the 
map offers better transportation fa- 
cilities than does Gulfport, thereby of- 
fering splendid inducements as a 
place for factory sites. We have had 



GULPPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



21 




THE CITY'S NEW RESERVOIR IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
When completed will hold one million gallons of water. 



several large plants located here in 
the last few years, among them being 
the following: 

Gas Plant, a $75,000 plant. 

Dantzler Machine & Foundry Works. 

W. R. Smith Machine & Foundry Co. 

Creosoting Works, $100,000 plant. 

Gulf & Ship Island Railroad Shops, 
an immense plant, working over a 
hundred men. 

Sash, Door & Blind Manufacturing 
Company, $100,000 plant. 

Gum Carbo Chewing Gum Factory. 

Two big ice plants. 

Three bottling works. 

Thomas Cotton Picker Mfg. Co., cap- 
italized at $50,000. 

Consolidated Iron Works. 

Shipbuilding Dock. 

Large brick yard two miles north 
of city. 

Union' Naval Stores Plant, one of 
the largest in the South. 

Coffee Importing- & Roasting Co. 

J. T. Wright Wagon & Buggy Mfg. 

Co. 

Three large grain elevators. 

Last but not least is the Gulfport 
Cotton Oil & Fertilizing Mfg. Co. This 
latter is an immense plant costing 
$500,000. The plant has been in ope- 



ration since the year 1903 and has al- 
ways ranked as one of the largest man- 
ufacturing industries in this section of 
the country. It is one of the largest 
plants in the South and has a very 
prosperous business in a half dozen 
states and is spreading out. 

Gulfport will soon be a great manu- 
facturing center because of the su- 
perb transportation facilities. 

You may talk about Oklahoma or 
the West for investment, but the Gulf 
Coast of Mississippi offers the best op- 
portunities for investment or labor or 
manufacturing enterprises of any 
place in the United States to-day. 
Capital has already sought the South 
for investment, anticipating the open- 
ing of the Panama canal in the next 
few years. Then Gulfport is going to 
be the Mecca of aggregations of large 
manufacturing enterprises. 

Hotels. 



The New Beach Hotel has just been 
leased to a new manager and will be 
opened on the 1st of February in a 
modern and up-to-date manner. It 
has twenty-four bedrooms, well fur- 



nished parlor and offices and dining 
room and first-class services and meals. 
It is on the beach in a beautiful loca- 
tion, delightfully cool in summer and 
bright and sunshiny in the winter. 
Altogether it is one of the best lo- 
cated and best kept hotels on the coast. 

The lull is situated right at the 
Union Depot, and is very convenient 
for commercial men coming into Gulf- 
port. It is well kept and the rooms 
are beautifully furnished and accom- 
modations are first-class. It is strict- 
ly a rooming house of the very best 
class and does not furnish meals. 

The Commercial Motel. This hotel 
is also near the depot and very con- 
veniently located for business men and 
travelers coming in and out. 

The Great Southern Hotel. Last but 
not least is our lovely Great Southern 
Hotel, situatad on the beach with an 
entrance through flowers and palms 
right in the center of the city. Its 
beautiful rooms and parlors, writing 
rooms and billiard rooms offer great 
attractions to visitors to Gulfport, also 
its lovely grounds full of flowers win- 
ter and summer, its tennis court and 
its great sun parlor facing the^beach. 
Nowhere in the South 'can you findj a 



22 



GULFPORT, MI S SI S S I PP I - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




>»^ .v;^aaafii&6a^&>iaBM 



COUNTY COURT HOUSE, GULFPORT. 



■''SSl^' 




NEW CITY HALL, COST $21,000. 



=_ 



GULFPORT, MISS I S S I P PI - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



23 




NEW WAGON FOR GULFPORT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT. 



more attractive spot than this hotel is 
situated on, nor a more up-to-date ho- 
tel. The service is fine. It is three 
stories in height, with a. fron"tage~on 
the Gulf of Mexico of 350 feet. It is 
thoroughly heated, has telephones 
throughout the house, the very finest 
artesian water, electricity and all 
modern conveniences. It has 250 
guest chambers. The large dining 
room, urnished in Flemish oak, looks 
out lipon the Sound where the waters 
break and splash tirelessly. The cuis- 
ine is directed by a high-priced chef, 
who sees to it that the larder is stock- 
ed with the market's choicest products 
and a well-trained corps of waiters 
look to the requirements of the most 
exacting guest. 

There is no place of the size of our 
city that we know of that has such 
splendid hotels as have we, offering 
the best service that can be had, and 
a beautiful country and lovely drive 
and such sunshiny days in the winter 
as we know cannot be found anywhere 
else in the United States, and we doubt 
if any other country can beat us. 

Then the lovely m-oonlight nights, 
they have to be seen to be appreciated, 



and there is no pen that can do them 
justice. 

Streets.- 

Gulfport is laid off in a systematic 
manner. Nearly all the streets and 
avenues being SO feet wide, while the 
central thoroughfare. Twenty-fifth 
avenue, is 200 feet wide. All the ave- 
nues run north and south and all the 
streets east and west. A contract has 
been let and work is in progress for 
40,000 square yards of vitrified brick 
pavement, a fraction over three 
miles, and also carries with it a sur- 
face water sewer system covering an 
area of about three miles. 

Our city is not only a great location 
for a city in a business way, but for 
miles back no prettier residence sec- 
tion can 'be found in the South. Na- 
ture has been liberal in providing her 
with natural advantages, so that her 
scenic location makes her a restful 
place for the ten thousand that are yet 
to possess some of her soil. 

Fraternal Orders. 

Our city is great for fraternal or- 
ders. All of the leading fraternal or- 



ders of the country have lodges organ- 
ized here, among them being: Odd 
Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Masons, 
The Beavers, Elks, Eagles, Woodmen 
of the World, Woodmen's Circle, East- 
ern Star, and Hoo-Hoos. 

The Masons have recently built a 
splendid Masonic Hall, which they 
own. 

The Elks are at present in rented 
quarters, but they are very handsome 
and comfortable. They have parlors, 
reading and writing rooms on the first 
floor, billiard and pool rooms on the 
second and the lodge meets on the 
third floor. They own a lot and in- 
tend building in the near uture. 

All the fraternal organizations in 
Gulfport are in a prosperous condi- 
tion; those that do not own their 
buildings have splendid apartment 
rented and maintain a perfect organi- 
zation, most of them meeting once a 
week. 

Climate. 

People often ask, "Isn't it awful Tiot 
on the Mississippi coast in the summer 
time?" We answer, positively, "No!" 

The breeze tempers the rays of the 



24 



GULFPORT, MI S SI S SIPPI - T HE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




MILL 
ELEVATOR 



. M 

GULFPORT 

GROCERY COMPAJ<Y 






BHBWiBBlMPMa 



Capacity, Elevaor, at 30,000 bushels; feed mill, 4,000 sacks per day; floor space warehouse, 35,000 square feet. 




TANKS AND YARDS UNION NAVAL STORES CO., GULFPORT. 
These yards comprise 10 acres. This Company is one of the largest in the South. 



GULFPORT, M I SSI S S I PPI -T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



25 




ICE PLANT AND LAUNDRY FOR GREAT SOUTHERN HOTEL. 



sun to such an extent that it is cooler 
here than it is 300 miles north of the 
coast and much cooler than it is in 
the North. Our climate, beyond all 
question, rivals that of any other cli- 
mate for an all-the-year-round climate. 
It challenges and even eclipses the 
famous Revieri of the Mediterranean. 
Think of everyone in summer apparel 
on Xmas day and the small boy romp- 
ing barefoot out of doors from morn- 
ing until night without a breath of 
frost in the air! This year (1908) 
strawberries were raised out in the 
open for Christmas dinner by our pro- 
gressive truckers. Our climate has to 
be visited to be appreciated. To prove 
the truth of this statement take ad- 
vantage of some of the winter excur- 
sion rates from the North and visit 
us and see for yourselves that our cli- 
mate is unexcelled. 

Hunting and Fishing. 

The sportsman here is in his glory. 
Fish of all variety abound, from the 
large shark and game tarpon down to 
the sardine. Almost everyone living 
on the water front have their private 
piers or wharves extending out into 



the water for a distance of 1.500 feet, 
and magnificent speckled and white 
trout, sheepshead and mullet and 
other varieties of edible ■ fish are 
caught from these wharves practically 
at one's door, at all seasons of the 
year, while a trip to Cat Island, nine 
miles from the mainland, but in full 
view of this city, is the nimrod's para- 
dise. From Cat Island clear on to 
Chandeleur Island is magnificent 
shooting. Duck and geese by the 
thousand abound, while a few miles 
out from the city north, quail are 
plentiful. 

This coast is the home of the oyster 
and hundreds of people are employed 
in the oyster industry. There are sev- 
eral large oyster and shrunp canning 
factories situated on our coast, while 
hundreds of people are employed con- 
tinuously during the oyster season in 
dredging and shipping the oyster to 
the various villages, towns and cities 
all over the South. 

The mainstays of this section are 
the lumber industry, trucking the 
year around, and our fish and oyster 
business,- all of which are conducted 
on a cash basis. All factories and 
most of the sawmills pay off every 



Saturday night, thus making money 
about as flush at one time of the year 
as another. 

Pertine;it Facts. 

The official census of Gulfport, com- 
piled in 1908, shows a resident popu- 
lation of 7,890 people, but in addition 
to this it must be remembered there 
are crowds of our business men who 
live outside of the corporate limits. 
Our system of interurban electric car 
lines making this convenient, while 
from 200 to 500 sailors are in port con- 
tinuously and add to our resident pop- 
ulation the people who have their 
business here and live outside, togeth- 
er with the hundreds of summer and 
winter tourists and visitors and you 
can readily see that we have an aver-' 
age of at least 10,000 inhabitants all 
the time. 

Gnlfport is the only deep water 
harbor on the Gulf Coast of Missis- 
sippi. There is 21 feet in the channel 
and anchorage basin. 

The Gulfport & Mississippi Coast 
Traction Company operate splendid 
equipment from Gulfport to Soria City, 
Mississippi City, DeBuys, Beauvoir, 



26 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPEI-TH.E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




GENERAL OFFICE BUILDING G. & S. I. R. R. 



fr 




NEW G. & S. I. R. R. FREIGHT DEPOT AT GULFPORT. 



GtJLFPORT, M I S S I S S I P PI - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



27 



1 . ? :|:p>l i-^i^<:k0M-'^^^^^^^4&.-«^^ $M.^ 




BIRDSEYE VIEW GULFPORT AND MISSISSIPPI COTTON OIL, FERTILIZER & MFG. CO.'S FACTORY. 

This is a $500,000 Plant. 



Sea Shore Camp Grounds and Biloxi 
going east, and on the west to Long 
Beach and White Harbor, and the line 
is being extended new into Pass Chris- 
tian, a distance of nine miles west of 
Gulfport. This extension will cost 
$200,000, to be completed within eight 
months' time. 

No better bathing is to be found on 
any coast than there is here. From a 
standpoint of scenic beautj', this coast 
stands unrivaled, the winds are as 
soft, the skies as eternally blue, the 
flowers as prolific and beautiful the 
year round as a tropical dream. It is 
not too hot in the summer and it is 
not too cold in the winter. 

Toung- man, come Soutli. 

Remember, Mississippi is the one 
state in the Union that has no large 
city within her borders. There is one 
being built now at Gulfport whose di- 
mensions will astonish the nation in 
the next decade. 

Tonn^ man, come South. 

Mississippi has 36,000,000 acres of 
land within her borders. 30,000,000 of 
which is as fine farming and trucking 
land as there is on God's green earth. 
Five and a half million acres of this 
36,000,000 is in cultivation, while 



nearly 6,000,000 acres, being swampy, 
will have to be reclaimed before be- 
ing suitable for, farming purposes, 
which leaves to-day 21,500,000 acres of 
fine farming and truck lands waiting 
for the energetic hustler. 

Come ou and locate iu this God- 
favored sectiou, where crops and vege- 
tation grow the year aronnd and while 
land is cheap. 

The old cry of the Forty-niners has 
been changed from "Go West, young 
man," to "Go South, young man." 

South Mississippi is teeming with 
possibilities. Do not wait until land 
goes beyond your reach. Gulfpori has 
the same railroad rates as New Or- 
leans or Mobile. Gulfport pays out iu 
salaries annually over $2,000,000. 

Sawmills manufacturing lumber on 
the G. & S. I. R. R. and the rivers and 
bayous adjacent to Gulfport number 
175, and the number of employes in 
the above mills are about 15,000; sal- 
aries paid yearly to said employes, $6.- 
500.000. 

Come South, young man. 

Gulfport has many miles of granit- 
oid sidewalks. 
Come South, young man. 



Assessment of Harrison County. 

1896 Real $2,634,020.00 

1896 Personal 567,699.00 

1897 Personal 612.494,00 

1898 Personal 659.020.00 

1899 Personal 726.254.00 

190(1 Real 3,773.926.00 

1900 Personal. 905,125.00 

1901 Personal 1.052,866.00 

1902 Real 4,434.387.00 

1902 Personal 1,187,416.00 

1903 Personal 1,930.992.00 

1904 Personal 2,354,695.00 

1905 Personal 2,317,376.00 

1906 Real 9,931,238.00 

1906 Personal 3.009,721.00 

1907 Personal 3,135,998.00 

1908 Personal 3,355.130.00 

Total for 1908 $13,286,368.00 



Real property is only assessed in 
this county every four years. Please 
notice the total assessment for 1896, 
$3,201,719, while the total assessment 
for 1908 is $13,286,368, a net increase 
of $10,084,649 in the space of twelve 
years; note also that the personal as- 
sessment for 1908 exceeds the total as- 
sessment, both real and personal, for 
1896, $153,411. 

These figures are exact and are 
copied from the records in the chan- 
cery clerk's office at the county court- 
house. 

Does this look like a growing sec- 
tion to you I 



28 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI — THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




POWER HOUSE OF GULFPORT & MISSISSIPPI 
COAST TRACTION COMPANY. 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI — THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



29 




CAR BARN OP GULFPORT & MISSISSIPFT COAST TRACTION COMPANY. 



CUSTOVl HOUSE RECEIPTS AT GULFPORT. 

1903 $ 5,593 92 

1904 '. 14,470 00 

1905 15,869 00 

1906 18,870 80 

1907 20,20100 



POSTOFFICE RECEIPTS. 

1900 $ 2,563 92 

1901 . . :___. 3,450 68 

1902 4,599 80 

1903 8,119 64 

1904 :___ 13,655 53 

1905 17,941 08 

1906 : .__. 24,072 60 

1907 : 25,468 77 

^"An increase of $1,396.17 in Postoffice receipts for the 
year 1907 shows the steady growth of everything here. 

Salaries paid to PostofRce employees amounted to 
$1,800.00 in 1900; in 1908 the salaries paid out to employees 
amounts to $17,000.00, an increase of $15,200.00 in eight 
years. 



STATEMENT 

Showing the assets of the City of Gulf port. Miss., as taken 
from the records on October 1, 1908. 

Water works system . $ 59,949 63 

Sanitary sewer system 38,417 67 

Central public school building 25,269 03 

Four white ward school buildings (public) 17,400 00 

One colored ward school building 3,000 00 

City hall building 20,690 69 

City jail building 12,751 75 

Sanitary and street equipments 1,669 50 

Fire department 6,458 50 

Real Estate 35,660 00 

Miscellaneous— Office supplies, school furniture, 

etc 7,341 00 

Cash on hand October 1, 1908 144,042 88 

Total . $372,650 65 

Guifport Has the Following Vice-Consulates Represented Here. 

Germany, France, 

Italy, Spain, 

Norway, The Netherlands, 

Brazil, Argentine Republic, 

Cuba, Panama, 

Colombia. 



30 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




A RADDISH FARM FIVE MILES NORTH OF GULFPORT. 




A BUNCH OF SATSUMA ORANGES 

Raised by J. P. Wilson, five miles from 
Gulfport. Mr. Wilson has a beauti- 
ful orange grove in full bearmg. 




GRAPE FRUIT TREE 
At J. P. Wilson's farm, five miles from Gulfport. 



GULPPORT, M I S SI S SIPPI -T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



31 




CREOSOTING PILING FOR PANAMA AT THE BIG 
CREOSOTE PLANT AT GULPPORT. 




MISS JANIE BRUNSON'S CHICKEN PARM. 



& 

o 

a 
u. 

a 



z 

CO 

m 
J 

H 
Z 



(A) 

< 
> 

03 
Z 

o 

< 

a. 

o 



ooo 
ooo 
ooo 

in [> cT 

00,-(O 
CO.-1 ^ 
5& 



© 



oco c- 

o t> to 
o -^ '^ 

u^r-To" 

T-. ^^ CO 

. CO i-» CO 



oooooo 
o o o o oo 
oooooo 

i-TcTo T-H c4"c^ 

T-H -^ O (M Oq rH 
1-1 Cq O ^^ T-H UO 



oooooo 

OOOOOO 

IC O o o t- o 
T-T o*" o o ^^ oT 

O T-. m Oq r-H 00 
^^ Oa t> ^ r-H '^l^ 



U5 

o 



oooooooooo 

OOOOOOOOOiO 
OCV](NO^O>O00i-IO 

oa\ooa^oo(Mr-io 

OcOOSOlOfMOOi^O 

o T-To Lo T-ri>^o co^o of 

^^OfM-— iCDOOlOCOOOtr- 
C<I Cv] i-H T-H T-H O ^ 



o 



OOOOlNOOCOt 
^COOOOOt-iC^IOO]: 

oto^^t-cocoooc 
lO Cvf ^ o t^^ ^ o c^*" ^ 



-^ z 



o 



O O O O CO lO 
OOi-HO^ c- 
O O O^ lO O CO 

00 00 ^irTcvf CO 



o 



O O i-H lO o o 
o o o ^- O '^ 
<M o 00 C- O T-H 



<u 
-PT3 m 



:£o^ 



O lO o 

OCO Jj 

oo'co ^ 

°° o 



oo 
oo ^N 
oo-g 
o o 5 
oo g 

c-Too" ?> 

o 

2; 



<u 



m 



J -tJ o 



DM ^ 



>>£ CJi 0) «i o 



oo 
o o 
oo 

00 co" 

T-H CO 
CO LO 



CO t- 

oo 

cno5 



O o 

Co 



o o 



3 3 

^ B 
EE 

'S'S 






32 



GULFPORT, MI S SI S S I P P I - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




A GLYMPSE AT THE SADDLERY AND BUGGY DEPARTMENT 
OF THE GULFPORT GROCERY CO. 




A VIEW OF A CORNER OF THE BIG SHOPS OF THE 
G. & S. I. R. R. CO. AT GULFPORT. 



GU1.FP0RT, MISSISSIPPI — THE" U A T EIT'AY TO" PANAMA 



LIST OF VESSELS 




INTERIOR OF KELLY'S GROCERY STORE, 27TH AVE. 



^B 


s^^ 


H3 






i 


^^■r?" 




1 



INTERIOR JUDGE KELLY'S COURT ROOM. 



In Gulfport Harbor December I, 1908, 
Show.'ng Net Registered Tonnage. 



STEAMSHIPS. 

Br. Twilight 1994 

Ger. Marie Menzell 1607 

Br. Eveline 1660 

*Br. Conway 2591 

Br. Marstonmoor 1732 

Br. Arranmoor 1721 

tAm. Northtown 1496 

Br. Alicia 1316 

SHIPS. 

Swd. Gripen 1115 

It. Torridon 1502 

It. Lena 1582 

BARKS. 

Ger. Hildegard 1603 

It. Rosa 1039 

Ger. Bonn 1050 

Nor. Andrea L. 1114 

It. Florida 1149 

Nor. Bayard ___. 1241 

Nor. 0x0 742 

Nor. Coquimbo 834 

SCHOONERS. 

Br. Lady of Avon 249 

Br. Doris M. Pickup 373 

Am. Harrison T. Beacham 266 

Am. Alice Lord 291 

Total tonnage 28,267 

Steamships 8 

Ships 3 

Barks 8 

Schooners... 4 

Total No. vessels 23 



* Unloading pyrites of iron for ferti- 
lizer factories at Meridian, Hattiesburg 
and Gulfport. 

t Unloading creosote oil for Gulfport 
Creosote Co. 



The Steamship "Conway" which 
brought a cargo of pyrites of iron into 
this port November 27th, contained the 
following: 

1,361 tons for Gulfport, 
254 tons for Nashville, 
503 tons for Hattiesburg, 
899 tons for Meridian. 
The "Conway" took out 9,052 bales 
of cotton and several hundred tons of 
cotton seed oil cake for Liverpool and 
Havre. 



■^^^^(•■^^ 



34 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




INTERIOR VIEW H. EDWARDS' POOL ROOM AND REFRESHMENT STAND. 




POOL TABLES IN ROOMS OF THE COMMERCIAL UNION. 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



35 




INTERIOR VIEW GREAT SOUTHERN PHARMACY. 



CLASS OF VESSELS LOADING AT GULFPORT. 



Steamships. 



Ships. 



Barks. 



Schooners. 



Total. 



Tonnage. 



1902 
1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 
1907 



2 

46 

97 

92 

125 

124 



13 

17 

9 

20 



2 
23 

78 
60 
69 
68 



22 
34 
81 
94 
73 
68 



28 
111 
269 
268 
276 
280 



18,444 
119,879 
390,394 
279,427 
338,363 
244,935 



VESSELS— IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 



IMPORTS 1905. 

Lumber imported coastwise, 

23,500,000 ft B. M $275,281 00 

Various imports as per Custom 

House records 24,943 00 $400,224 00 



EXPORTS 1906. 

Lumber, 293,125,000 ft. B. M.__$8,224,000 00 
V^arious other commodities 553,621 00 



EXPORTS 1907. 



Lumber, 286,565,000 ft. B. M.. 
Various other commodities _ . . _ 



5,679,466 00 
214,345 00 



,777,621 00 



5,893,811 00 



IMPORTS 1906. 

Lumber imported coastwise, 

27,000,000 ft. B. M _$540,000 00 

Various imports as per Custom 

House records 48,629 10 

IMPORTS 1907. 



$588,629 10 



Lumber from rivers and bayous 

east and west of Gulfport 

(722,382,000 lbs. 361,191 tons)$4,514,865 00 
Turpentine, rosin and other 

commodities (68,420,000 lbs. 

34,210 tons) $1,368,000 00 $6,882,875 00 

EXPORTS 1905. 

Lumber, 207,614,000 ft. B. M._ ,$6,218, 000 00 

Various other commodities 814,750 00 $7,032,750 00 



RECAPITULATION. 

1905 Imports $ 400,224 00 

" Exports 7,032,750 00 $7,432,974 00 

1906 Imports 588,629 10 

" Exports 8,777,621 00 9,366,250 00 

1907 Imports 6,882,875 00 

" Exports 6,893,811 00 13,776,686 00 



RAILWAYS-TOTAL IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 

1904 Exports $ 6,139,872 00 

" Imports 12,228,822 20 $18,368,694 20 

1905 Exports 5,885,530 00 

" Imports 15,252,717 48 21,138,247 48 

1906 Exports 7,368,110 72 

" Imports 19,603,607 00 24,971,717 72 

1907 Exports 8,549,883 57 

" Imports 19,819,496 60 28,369,380 17 



36 



GULFPORT, M I S S I S S I PP I - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 





INTERIOR VIEW FIRST NATIONAL BANK. 




OFFICE COMMERCIAL UNION. 



GULFPORT, M I S SI S S I P PI — T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



37 




PLANT OP JAMES D. CLAITOR. 
Where this book was printed. 



RAILROAD FREIGHTS 

Tonnage Received and Forwarded from Quifport, for the year 1907, by Rail. 



IMPORTS 1907. 

Lumber, Gulf & Ship Island Railroad 557,319,765 pounds, or 278,659 tons, estimated value, 

Other commodities 226,485,924 pounds, or 113,242 tons, estimated value. 

Cotton J 106,000 pounds, or 53 tons, estimated value. 

Lumber received over L. & N. R. R 104,887,384 pounds, or 52,443 tons, estimated value, 

888,799,073 pounds, or 444,399 tons, estimated value, $19,819,496 60 

EXPORTS 1907. 

Lumber, Gulf & Ship Island Railroad. _,__., .. 7,148,485 pounds, or 35,742 tons, estimated value. 

Phosphate and Pyrites ■____.. 7,109,110 pounds, or 35,545 tons, estimated value, 

Other commodities. __, — --_ _!___ 134,518,104 pounds, or 672,590 tons, estimated value, 

Oother commodities via L. & N. Railroad 35,363,984 pounds, or 176,819 tons, estimated value, 

184,139,683 pciunds, or 920,696' tons, estimated value, 

RECAPITULATION. 

Exports $ 8,549,883 57 

Imports 19,819,496 60 $28,369,380 17 



$ 5,240,231 20 

11,324,296 20 

10,600 00 

5,244,369 20 



41,560 95 

14,218 22 

6,725,905 20 

1,768,199 20 

$8,549,883 57 



38 



GULFPORT, M I S S I S S I PP I - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




INTERIOR VIEW POYTHRESS HARDWARE COMPANY, ON 13TH STREET. 




JONES BROS. DRUG CO. SODA FOUNTAIN. 



GULF PORT, MI S SI S S IPPI ^ THE. GATEWAY -TO PANAMA 



39 




INTERIOR S. D. LEHMAN'S JEWELRY STORE, 14TH STREET. 



TOTAL IMPORTS AND EXPORTS 



RAILWAY AND ^VATER 



1904. 

Imports via railways $12,228,822 20 

Imports via vessels 'Custom House records) 468 00 

Exports via railways 6,139,872 80 

Exports via vessels (Custom House records) 4,025,196 00 $22,394,359 00 

1905. 

Imports via railways $15,252,717 48 

Imports via vessels :_.. 400,224 00 -' $15,652,941 48 

Exports via railways 5,885,530 00 ■^'Fm' («i " 

Exports via vessels _._ 7,032,750 00 ' p 12,918,280 00 

$28,571,221 48 
1906. 

Imports via railways ■ $17,603,607 00 

Imports via vessels 588,629 10 $18,192,236 10 

Exports via railways .___ 7,368,110 72 

Exports via vessels 8,777,621 00 16,145,731 72 

$34,337,967 82 
1907. 

Imports via railways $19,819,496 60 

Imports via vessels^:...:: 6,882,875 00 $26,702,371 60 

Exports-via railways _._ ^. . 8,549,883 57 

Exports via vessels . 6,893,811 00 17,443,694 57 

$44,146,066 17 
You will notice that-the increase in Imports and Exports via rail and viti? i\-iii 19)1 is $21,75 1,70717 



40 



— - G-U-L-FPaR-T, —M I-S-SI SS-I.P P I-^ .X.H E - aATEW-A-Y- -T-Q . P-A N A M A_ 




GREAT SOUTHERN HOTEL. 




FIRST NATIONAL BANK CORNER. 



STATE BANK OF GULFPORT. 



CONDENSED STATEMENT 

Of the condilion of the 

FIRST NATIONAL BANK 

At ihc dote of busineM Feb. 5. 1 909. 



RESOURCES. 

Loans and discounts $1,016,479 88 

Bonds and securities 331,708 45 

Banking house 38.500 00 

Due from U. S. Treasurer 12,600 00 

Cash and due from banks. 130.988 79 

$1,630,177 12 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital stock _$ 260,000 00 

Surplus and profits 74,274 57 

Circulation 246,800 00 

Bonds borrowed 60,000 00 

Deposits ._ 710,302 59 

Bills re-discounted 39,799 96 

Bills payable 150,000 00 

$1,830,177 12 



CONDENSED STATEMENT 

Of the condition of the 

STATE BANK OF GULFPORT 

At the close of business Nov. 27, 1908. 



RESOURCES. 

Loans and discounts on personal en- 
dorsements, real estate or collateral 

securities $173,891 80 

Overdrafts 2,784 49 

Banking house, furniture and fixtures. 30,500 DO 

Due from other banks 21,292,86 

Cash on hand. 13,791 71 

$242,260 86 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital paid in $80,000 00 

Undivided profits, less expenses and 

taxes 8,996 04 

Deposits 162.223 19 

Due other banks 1.007 38 

Certified checks 34 26 

$242,260 86 




GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



41 



SHOWING CONDITION 

OF THE 

BANK OF COMMERCE 

QULFPORT, MISS., 
OF 

September 17th, 1908. 



RESOURCES. 

Loans and Discounts __ $292,598 38 

Overdrafts _ 17,102 36 

Banking House, furniture and fixtures. 25,000 00 

Due from other banks 24,781 09 

Cash on hand 19,001 33 

Expenses 1.051 19 

Total $379,534 35 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital stock $100,000 00 

Surplus _ 35,000 00 

Individual Deposits 169,480 15 

Time deposits 15,791 68 

Bills payable and rediscounts 57,500 00 

Certified checks 1,762 52 

Total ....$379,534 35 



THE INN HOTEL, 27TH AVENUE. 



NEW BEACH HOTEL. 



42 



GULFPORT, MI S S I S S I P PI - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




N. & F. HEWES BUILDING. 
"i ■ 

The Gulf port Commercial Union occupies the" 

entire third floor of this building. 




GULFPORT FURNITURE COMPANY-Wholesale and Retail. 

J. S. Richardson and R. L. Glass, Proprietors. 

This store contains 13,200 square feet floor space. 



GULFPORT, M I S SI S S IPP I - T H E GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



43 




SUMMER HOME OF CHANCELLOR T. A. WOOD. 
These grounds face the water front. 




BEAUTIFUL BEACH HOME OF MR. CLEMENCEAU. 



44 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




OAK HAVEN-RESIDENCE OF W. H. BOUSLOG ON BEACH. 




BEACH HOME OF J. R. HILL, ON FRONT STREET. 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



45 




BEACH RESIDENCE OF HON. H. D. MOORE, EX-MAYOR OF GULFPORT. 




COUNTY TREASURER JOSEPH MURPHYS' HOME. 



46 



GULFPORT, M I S SI S SI PPI- THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




MM \^h 







BEACH RESIDENCE OP MAYOR GEO. M. FOOTE. 




BUNGALOW RESIDENCE OF J. D. HARDY. 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 



47 




RESIDENCE OF S. R. BRASELTON. 




RESIDENCE OF B. C. COX, on Thornton Avenue. 



48 



GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-THE GATEWAY TO PANAMA 




BEACH RESIDENCE OF F. B. HEWES. 




RESIDENCE OF B. C. LAWLER. 



3477-251 



^ 



f."' 







miiiif 



w^^'i 



\t«^^4f/JM.H>4Hfi^,r„^Af^„A^^ (fj, 



< v>- 
^^ .^i^A or ay a//ss/ss/p/->/ aus tra c r 
5'^' r/riE A/^o euAPANrr co. 

,G^ Af.fi'.BOUSLOG QCA/.Afa/f. 

.,.,) aty/.^fa»r iMrncs/iu/m 

*^^ 0^^/C£S UACffSOA/ SCRA/vro/v 

A/i/O LtA/reSi'/LLB 



I 



-^ 



%^- 






^'' 



^ 






%- 







^^..^^ /.^-v \/ f^^^ \f /^\ \/ ;^^o \f ;^ 













'1'°' > 



I 1 • 



o . i » A 









.*% 



V^^-/ \-^\/ v'^^V \-^^\/.. -». •- 
'■•''■^^ /-^-.^ /--^-^ /•;«s&-/** ** ••M-'^v, 



.*^ 



-"-■•A <^ */^' 0^ "Kd 'o.T" a ^ *.Trr» o' 







^°-n. 






























4 o^ 






">- '^ 










. ." A 







^i/' ^o»". "-. <*>. 




-\ ,'°.-^-> / *■■■ 









^o V" 

















^ 













































-i-, *'..=^ ,0 






v^^"^"^'*/ ^^./^^''y' V'^"^%°' V 
. *- V •.'*?«^.- /\ ■•.^•- /\ ■.^•- /% "--^W'" /% _,_ 





